


I Fell in Love in the Back of a Cop Car

by Kody (saturated)



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Homophobic Language, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 18:44:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21150443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saturated/pseuds/Kody
Summary: Richie was a coward in the worst way.  He could drive a truck that was basically a death trap and ignore ‘no trespassing’ signs and kill fucking monster clowns all day long, but when it came to Eddie, he was a fucking coward.Richie and Eddie sneak onto an air field to go stargazing and things turn kind of bad.





	I Fell in Love in the Back of a Cop Car

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone out there needs fic ideas, just listen to sappy country music because this is my second fic in like four days and that's honestly the most I've ever posted in my life.
> 
> This fic is inspired by Cop Car by Keith Urban (which I've been listening to on repeat because it's hecking cute)
> 
> Also one homophobic language (TW) used about halfway.

Richie bought his truck for $400 because it was cheap and he loved it. At least, that was what he told Eddie when he weaseled him into helping him get it running again. When Stan badgered him about it because he knew Richie didn’t care about what he drove, Richie admitted that he picked a shitty truck to get Eddie to help him to spend more time with him. Stan would have guessed anyway, and he probably already had.

But Richie didn’t care. Stan knew that he had had it bad for Eddie since they were thirteen. There was never any use in trying to lie to Stan about his intentions, especially when after his usual eye roll, Stan would pat Richie’s back or squeeze his shoulder with a “good luck” or a “don’t worry, he likes you too”. The second one Richie could never believe.

They fixed it up eventually, which translated into about three weeks of working everyday after school and on the weekends. Eddie was always there helping out unless his mom was particularly ornery that day. The truck was Richie’s but driving it that first day belonged to both of them. The roar of the engine and feeling of backing it out of the driveway as Eddie came bounding down to hop in the passenger seat. Shifting it into gear and forgetting seatbelts (not that the ones that were there worked anyway), they took it for a drive around the block. Not daring to take it over 25 and absolutely terrified when the breaks threatened to give when Richie slammed on them to avoid hitting a dog, it somehow managed to feel like a joyride, windows down, wind barely blowing, a moment neither of them would forget.

They took it out later that night after proving to their parents it actually ran and wouldn’t break down and they wouldn’t have to be rescued from the middle of nowhere.

“Where are you taking me, Rich?” Eddie asked when Richie turned down a dead end road.

“Far out, dude,” Richie said. “Can’t be near anyone for stargazing.”

“The park is just fine,” Eddie said irritated. “I know what’s there. Who knows what kind of bacteria and germs…and murderers are out here.”

“I’d never let anyone murder you, Eds.”

“Unless _you_ wanted to murder me.”

“Trust me.”

And so Eddie did, just like he always did. Richie had to wonder whether there was truth in what Stan kept telling him. _He likes you too_. Eddie never seemed to trust anyone the way he trusted Richie, but Richie always wrote it off as being his best friend. _Of course, _they trusted each other. What kind of best friends didn’t? But still, Richie couldn’t escape the nagging voice in his head that agreed, Eddie did like him, and the evidence was there. Eddie always thought of Richie first and brought him extra food when he didn’t do the same for others. Eddie always pushed people away when they got too close, but never Richie. Hell, Eddie never kicked him out when Richie snuck into his room late at night because he didn’t want to be alone. But Richie couldn’t let himself believe it.

The road ended but there was a small one lane trail off to the side that Richie turned down. The truck rattled and groaned and Richie pushed on.

“If you kill this goddamn truck,” Eddie said. “I’m never helping you with anything ever again.”

“Relax,” Richie said. “She can take it.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

Richie glanced at Eddie before returning his gaze to the trail. Eddie was tightly gripping the overdoor handle and was braced against the dashboard with the other hand. Richie felt bad. He never wanted to be the cause of Eddie’s anxiety, but the result of this would be so much better than any trip to the park.

Shortly, the trail opened up to a huge field and a small runway that housed the tiny airport that sat between Derry and the next town over. Richie put the truck in park and shut it off seemingly in the middle of it.

“Did you miss the ‘no trespassing’ sign?” Eddie said. “We can’t be here.”

“Live a little, Eds,” Richie said, hopping out of the truck. “No one will even know we’re here.”

Eddie slowly followed Richie out as he hopped in the back of the truck.

“Come on, Eddie,” Richie said holding his hand down to help Eddie in. Eddie gingerly took it and hoisted himself into the bed, tripping a little, but Richie caught him and held him upright. “It’s beautiful out here,” Richie said quietly. “Way better than the park.”

Eddie smiled up at Richie and Richie became very aware of how close they were standing and that he was still somewhat holding Eddie. He let go and moved to lay down in the bed. Eddie followed suit, keeping a couple inches between them.

The air was charged. Richie felt it. He wanted Eddie right up against him like he usually was. He wanted Eddie to joke through his anxiety like he always did. He wanted to not be such a coward and take Eddie’s hand and tell him how he felt. But he couldn’t. Richie wanted a lot of things he couldn’t have and it was torture.

Eddie scooted a little closer. “Do you want to know the constellations?” he asked.

“Can you show me?” Richie said softly. His voice didn’t sound like his own. It sounded weak and tired, unlike his usual jovial self.

“That one there,” Eddie pointed to what seemed like nothing, “is Libra. And that one…” he pointed in another direction “is Hercules.”

“I see it,” Richie said.

“Really?” Eddie said.

“Fuck no,” Richie laughed, and Eddie did too. “I know that one,” he said pointing to one of the dippers, big or little, he didn’t know. “See, I know things.”

“What’s its name?” Eddie said raising his eyebrows.

“Big dipper,” Richie ventured a guess.

“You lose a point, Trashmouth,” Eddie said knocking their shoulders. “That’d be Ursa Minor, the _little _dipper.”

“Fuck you,” Richie said shoving back. “When did you even learn these?”

“Wanna know a secret?”

Richie nodded.

“I don’t,” Eddie said smiling. “I memorized the names, but I have no fucking clue where they are.”

“What?” Richie said sitting up. “Then how the fuck would I be wrong? You don’t know.” He poked Eddie’s stomach as Eddie sat up with him.

“I memorized what month they’re in,” Eddie said. “In June, you see the little dipper.”

“That’s stupid,” Richie said laying down again. “Why would you need to know something stupid like that?”

Eddie lied back down, closer to Richie than he was before, shoulders and knees knocking together. “To trick you,” he said. “Or impress you,” he added quickly. “Whichever way it worked.”

“You already impress me so much, Eds,” Richie said without thinking, gazing at Eddie. He realized what he had said when Eddie went silent and returned his attention to the stars. Richie did the same.

The air was charged again, and Richie was restless. It would be so easy to do it, to take Eddie’s hand and lace their fingers together. They were already practically laying on top of each other, their hands brushing every so often like Eddie was trying to give Richie permission to do it. But Richie couldn’t. He was a coward in the worst way. He could drive a truck that was basically a death trap and ignore ‘no trespassing’ signs and kill fucking monster clowns all day long, but when it came to Eddie, he was a fucking coward.

Richie lost his breath when Eddie finally hooked his pinky around Richie’s. It _was _permission. Richie could take Eddie’s hand if he wanted to, and he really wanted to. His heart felt like it would break out of his chest, and he did it. Richie, in one swift motion, took Eddie’s hand, laced their fingers together, and gently squeezed. He let out breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 

“Richie?” Eddie said. Richie held his breath again. “I have to tell you something.”

Richie never got to find out what it was that Eddie wanted to say because at that moment, from behind them, in front of the truck, was the sound of another car. Follow by blue and red flashing lights.

“Shit,” Richie said sitting up and looking through the windows to the front. “Oh, we’re so fucked.”

Eddie sat up and looked too. “No trespassing means no trespassing, Rich,” Eddie said with a hint of humor. “We could run.”

Richie looked pointedly at Eddie. Suggesting stupidly dangerous stuff was his job, and talking him out of it was Eddie’s. “What the fuck are you talking about?” Richie said.

“Run,” Eddie said smiling. “Make a break for it. If you drive fast enough, we can lose them.”

“Who the fuck are you and what have you done with Eddie?” Richie said. He couldn’t help smiling too.

The lights were close now, moving slow but with a purpose. Even if Richie had said yes to running, there was no way of getting out now. He wanted to, even if just for the wild look in Eddie’s eyes when he suggested it, like he actually wanted Richie to say yes. Richie couldn’t understand why Eddie wasn’t panicking, although Richie didn’t understand why _he_ was. This wasn’t the first time he got caught trespassing. The sheriff always took him home and he was grounded for a week. Simple. But this was the first time Eddie was with him. Mrs. K was going to kick his ass when she found out.

“Richie,” Eddie said, pulling Richie out of the trance he was in staring at the police car to look at Eddie again.

“Yeah?”

Before Richie realized, Eddie kissed him. It was quick and sloppy and Eddie almost missed. It was over almost as fast as it happened. Richie lips vibrated, aching for more.

_He likes you too._

Fuck, Stan, Richie thought, you sure were right.

The car pulled around the back of the truck and the driver got out, shining a flashlight on Richie and Eddie.

“Tozier,” the voice said. The sheriff. “And Kaspbrak? Get out here.”

They climbed out of the truck, complying with the sheriff as he instructed his partner to cuff them. Richie worried that Eddie might start freaking over the cuffs, ready to tell him it’s only for the drive home, but he glanced over to see Eddie barely fighting back a smile as he got them put on.

“Something funny, Kaspbrak?” the sheriff asked. “I don’t think your mom will find it funny when we drop you off.”

“Nothing’s funny, sir,” Eddie said, face dropping. “You know my mom will really appreciate you taking care of me and setting me straight. Maybe if you mention that I was being corrupted by Richie, you’ll really earn some points with her.”

Richie’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe how Eddie was acting. He expected a panic attack. He expected pleading and maybe crying to let them drive home and they’d never do this again if they didn’t tell their parents. He expected anything but Eddie stealing his cocky lines and executing them almost perfectly. Richie probably would have fluttered his eyes a little more.

They were ordered into the back of the car by a very angry sheriff, shoulders knocking as they settled in.

“You’re killing me tonight, Eds,” Richie said.

“I still say we should have ran,” Eddie said. “Would’ve made a hell of a story for our grandkids.”

“Not if your mom kills me first,” Richie said. _Our grandkids_. Richie suffocated his freak out.

“She won’t,” Eddie said awkwardly reaching for Richie’s hand with his own cuffed one. Richie met him halfway. “Ma will just be happy I escaped your ‘dastardly’ clutches and made it home safe…all thanks to the sheriff.” He added that last part as the sheriff got back in the car.

“Kaspbrak,” the sheriff said. “If you don’t shut the fuck up, I might just have to throw you in the slammer all night.”

“Oh, no, please, sir!” Richie said with a voice mimicking a British schoolchild. “Anything but that! Have us scrub the restrooms with our toothbrushes or clean your car by hand but anything, anything but the slammer!”

Eddie erupted in a fit of laughter. Even though it was dark, Richie knew the sheriff was beat red and pissed the fuck off. He didn’t say anything in return, and Richie hoped he hadn’t pushed him too far.

As Eddie calmed down, Richie looked at him, barely visible but still with a hazing blue and red lighting on him. He looked more beautiful than he ever had, and Richie didn’t know if it was because of the kiss or the way he was acting, but Richie couldn’t help admit that maybe he was in love with Eddie Kaspbrak.

Oh, god, he thought. He was _in love_ with Eddie. He didn’t have just a hopeless crush or plain infatuation. Richie couldn’t see his life without Eddie, and the absolute wildness mixed with naivety threw him over the edge. For the first time in his life, Eddie wasn’t scared, or maybe he was, but all he was showing was his absolute self. Richie couldn’t help but fall head over heels for him right then and there.

Richie hadn’t even noticed the car moving, when Eddie asked, “What about the truck?”

“It’ll be towed,” the partner said.

“Tozier,” the sheriff said. “I’ll tell your dad where he can get it back.”

“Can’t you tell me?” Richie asked. That truck was his baby now. After weeks of working on it, he wanted it back. “My dad will probably leave it for junk.”

“Well, that’s up to him then,” the sheriff said. “If you were my son, I’d do the same.”

“That’s bullshit!” Eddie said. “That’s _our _truck!”

“You should have thought about that before you trespassed,” the sheriff said. “You boys need to learn your lesson.”

Eddie sat back in a huff, but Richie was used to this. He wasn’t hurting anyone, but the sheriff always treated him like he just killed someone. It didn’t help that the sheriff’s son was the quarterback asshole who’d hurl insults at Richie every goddamn day of his life. The sheriff probably knew everything his son thought about Richie, _loser, good for nothing, troublemaker, fag._

Whatever. It didn’t matter anyway.

Richie bumped Eddie’s knee with his own. Eddie looked at him.

“It’s fine,” Richie said quietly so the sheriff and his partner wouldn’t hear. “We’ll get her back.”

“Good,” Eddie said. “Legally this time. I’m not getting fucking arrested again because of you.” The adrenaline had dropped and Eddie was starting to act normal again. Richie loved wild Eddie, but this Eddie, worried about the law and angry at Richie for something stupid, this Eddie was his.

Eddie settled his head against Richie shoulder as the cop car slowly made its way back to town. Instead of turning down the road to get to their houses when they reached it, the car went straight ahead to the 24-hour diner.

“You guys don’t mind do ya?” the sheriff said chuckling. “We still got all night to go and we’re starving.”

“Only if you bring me out an order of fries,” Richie said.

Already out of the car, the sheriff replied, “Nope,” before slamming it shut.

They were stuck for who knows how long.

“Can they do that?” Eddie said. “What if something happens? What if there’s an emergency? What if I have to pee, Richie?”

“Do you?” Richie asked.

“No,” Eddie said exasperated. “But what if?”

Richie shrugged. “They usually do this. They can’t really arrest me without my dad going up their asses, and the same with your mom, but they can’t fucking stand me so whatever stupid fucking torture they can think of is pretty good too.”

“What if we told our parents?”

“My dad had a laugh with them last time about it. Mom too.”

Eddie didn’t know what to say, so he sat there simmering in anxiety. Richie couldn’t find the words either. He could see Eddie getting more and more claustrophobic by the second and he had to find a way to change the topic. Anything but the fucking assholes who left Eddie in this car.

“What did you want to tell me earlier?” Richie asked.

“What are you talking about?” Eddie said almost too innocently.

“Before they showed up. You said you had something to tell me.”

“Oh,” Eddie said looking down at his hands. “I thought I already did tell you.”

Richie was so fucking stupid. No, he wasn’t stupid, just dense, just not ready to accept that Eddie did like him the same way Richie liked him back. Not quite the same way, Richie reminded himself, there was no way Eddie was as lovestruck as Richie. Not yet anyway. But Richie remembered the kiss. It was so quick, like Eddie had to do it then before he didn’t get another chance. There was that crazy wild adrenaline to think of too. Eddie was already hopped up by the time he kissed Richie. Could that have been it?

No, Richie thought, stop syking yourself out. Before the cops showed up, they were already holding hands. Eddie _did _like him, and he had to stop trying to convince himself otherwise.

But there was Eddie, so beautiful in the soft glow of the diner, and so sad too. Richie had been so busy convincing himself that there was no way Eddie liked him that he didn’t even think, couldn’t even think that Eddie put himself out there, and Richie had been so fucking stupid about it. Richie had to fix it.

“Hey, Eds,” Richie said.

“Don’t call me –“ Eddie said but couldn’t finish because Richie had claimed his mouth with his own.

Richie kissed Eddie like he always dreamed of doing. He was soft and sweet, until Eddie opened his mouth a little and Richie took the chance to slip his tongue in, desperate for more of Eddie. Eddie’s fingers grazed Richie’s jaw, and Richie could picture Eddie’s awkward cuffed hands trying to get closer. Richie kissed and kissed and kissed Eddie until he remembered where they were, and pulled back slowly, Eddie chasing him, hungry for more.

“We’re in a cop car,” Richie said. “We’re handcuffed in the back of a fucking cop car and we’re making out.”

Eddie smiled. That made Richie smile too.  
“That’s kinky, right?” Richie said and Eddie shoved him in the chest.

“Fuck off, Trashmouth,” Eddie laughed.

And suddenly, things were good. Richie could survive whatever hell he got from his parents, and definitely the load of shit he’d get from Eddie’s mom. Everything was good because he had Eddie, and they had this night. The sheriff could take as long as he wanted because for Richie, it meant more time with Eddie, and he wouldn’t trade that for anything, even if he was stuck in handcuffs.

**Author's Note:**

> And they lived happily ever after and didn't forget each other and nobody died when the clown came back!
> 
> Check out my other fics and then yell at me for not writing the part 2 that I promised for another fic so I actually finish it (it's half done shut up)


End file.
